Apparatus for purifying sewage-water



(No Model.) 3- Sheets- Sheet 1.

.J. S., MILLER.

v.eu P.1.\ RATI Is FOR PURIFYING SBWAGB WATER. No 608,221. Patented Apr.. 26,1898.

(No Model.) v 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

2 J- s. MILLER. y APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING SEWAGE WA'I'BR.l No. 603,221. Patented Apr. 26, 1898.

TTOBNEKS (No Model.) 3 sheets-sheet a.

J. S. MILLER. i

APPARATUS EUR PURIPY-ING SBWAGE WATER.

No. 603,221. Patented Apr.. 26, 1898..

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d UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES S. MILLER,`OF READING, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING SEWAGE-WATER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 603,221, dated April 26, 1898. Application led July 10, 1897. Serial No. 644,102. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.:

Vania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Purifying Sewage-Water, of which the following is a full and complete specification, such as will en-v able those skilled in theart to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

This invention relates to apparatus for purifyin g sewage-water; and the object thereof is to provide an improved apparatus for this purpose whereby sewage-water may be puriiied and used for any desired purpose and whereby the foul odors which are occasioned `by thedischarge of such water into the openV air are prevented. v

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawings form a part, in which- Figure lis a sectional plan or diagrammatic view of my improved apparatus; Fig. 2, a partial section on the line 2.2 of Fig. l; Fig. 3, a sectional side view looking in the direction of the arrow a of Fig. l; Fig. 4t, asection on the line 44 of Fig. 1,'and Fig. 5 a section on'the'4 filtering apparatus proper.

My improved apparatus for the purpose herein specified is preferably located at the lowest point of the sewerage system the wa- Ater of which it is desired to purify, and in 'with the sewer a are pipes 01.3, each of which i is provided with a valve a4 of any preferred Be it known that I, JAMES S. MILLER, a citi'` zen of the United States, residing at Reading, in the county of Berks and Stat-e of Pennsyl construction.

Hinged directly beneath the inner ends of i each of the pipes a3 in the compartments a2,

as shown ata, is a trough-shaped screen a6, which is of the form shown in cross-section in Fig. 5, each of which consists of four layers of wire-netting, preferably composed of copper wire, and the free ends thereof are provided with upwardly-directed rods a7, which are hinged thereto and which pass through adjusting-nuts as, which are supported by brackets a9, secured to the wall of the compartments 0.2 opposite that through which the pipes as enter, and by means of this construction the free ends of the trough shaped screens a6 may be raised or lowered, as will be readily understood.

At a suitable distance below the troughshaped screens a6 the compartments a2 are di- Y vided by transverse angle-irons B, which serve as beams or supports, and above the transverse angle-irons B is placed a wire screen b, consisting of a number of sheets of wire-netting, preferably composed of copper and of very ne mesh, while above the screen b, composed of copper, is a thick layer of coarse corncobs b2, above which is placed a layer b3 of finely-broken corncobs, and above the layer b3 is placed a layer b4 of straw, this construction being best shown in Fig. 5.

The water from the sewer a passes into the trough-shaped screens a6 and is filtered therethrough onto the layer of straw b4, and said waterpasses through said layer of straw b4, through the first layer of finely-broken cobs b3, and then through the coarse layer of cobs b2, land then through the wire netting or matting b and falls linto the slush-chambers b5, one of which is placed beneath each of the compartments a2.

Adjacent to the building A and preferably on the same side as the sewer is a iiush-well C, and a pipe C2 leads from the bottom of each of the slush-chambers b5 and discharges into the flush-well, and another pipe C3 eX- tends downwardly into said iiush-well and is carried upwardly and is in communication with the cylinder C4 of an ordinary pump C5, and the cylinder C4 is provided with a pipe C, which is in communication with a pipe'Cf,

which is provided with four branches C8,

IOO

which extend inwardly through the adjacent wall of the building A and downwardly into the compartments a2 and terminates over the screening composed of the layers b4, b2, b2, and of straw, corncobs, and copper wire.

Arranged at the side of the building A, op-

posite the sewer-pipe a, is a receiver-well D,

with which each of the slush-chambers b5 communicate by means of a pipe d, each of which` is provided with a valve d2, which is operated by a rod d3, which is provided at its upper end with a ring or handle d4, and communicating with the bottom of the well D are pipes (Z5, which communicate with the fluslrwell C.

I also provide means for conveying foul odors from the slush-chambers, which consist of a pipe C, which extends into said chambers, as shown in Fig. 2, and upwardly and out through one of the side walls ofthe building A, and in practice I connect a pump therewith by means of which the foul odors are drawn from said slush-chambers andll forced into the furnace and used as a blast, and an ordinary fan-blower may be employed for this purpose, if desired, and by means ofy this arrangement the foul air from the slush; chambers or the odors with which the samef is laden are consumed.

rIhe second part of the apparatus, or that portion which is located in the building A2,j is also divided by transverse partitions E andi by a central longitudinal partition ve into,

eight filtering-compartments e2, and arranged upon the longitudinal partition c is a conduit c2, which 1s provided at one end with a pipe et, which is in communication with the cylinder e5 of a pump e6, and communicating with the cylinder e5 of the pump e is a pipe e7,

which extends downwardly into the bottom verse beams II, of angle-iron, above which is placed a copper screen h, which is preferably composed of a plurality of layers of screens connected as shown and described in Fig. 5, and above the screen 7L is placed a thick layer 71,2 of gravel, above which is placed a thicker layer h2 of sand, and vabove which is placed alayerhA1 of finer gravel than that at h2, and beneath the beams H, by which the filtering material 7L, 71,2, 7L3,and h4 is supported,are purewateivcliambers h5, provided with concrete bottoms h6.

The water-chambers h5 are each provided with pipes K, which are shown in Fin. 4 and which communicate with said chambers near the top thereof, and these pipes Klon each side are in communication with a pipe 7c and are provided with valves 7a2, and in Fig. l the pipes K and 7c are shown only on one side of the building A2 and the compartments thereof are shown at the opposite side. The water-chambers h5 are also provided with flushpipes kS, by which said chambers may be cleaned whenever desired, and it will be understood that the water when it passes from said chambers h5 through the pipes K enters the pipe or pipes k (shown in Figs. l and 3) and may be conveyed wherever desired for use.

Above the conduit c2 and resting thereon is a railway-track composed of rails L, and I also provide a truck or car L2, which is mounted on said track and by means of which the filtering material, consisting of the sand and gravel h2, h2, and h4, may be removed from the building whenever desired and brought back when cleaned or purified, it being understood that whenever necessary this filtering material may be removed and cleansed and replaced in position or new filtering material may be substituted therefor, and the transverse partition-walls E of the filtering-compartments c2 are provided with vertical air-conduits L2, by which air may be conveyed or forced into the fresh-water chambers or compartments h5, and the railwaytrack L is shown in Fig. l, and the truck or car L2 is shown in Fig. 3.

rThe separator-building A is also provided with transverse beams or girders M, on which is placed a track m, and a car or truck m2 is placedon the track m, and arranged in said building adjacent to said track and above said car is a shaft m3, and directly thereunder and just above the trough-shaped screens a6 is another shaft m4, and mounted on these shafts are wheels or drums m5, on which are mounted bucket-chains m, and by means of this construction the separatin g material,com posed of the straw b, the cobs b2 and b2, may be removed whenever desired, said material being shoveled into the buckets m7, by which it is dumped into the truck or ear fm2, and said screening material b4, b3, and b2 may be removed whenever desired and may be used for fertilizing purposes, and new and clean material may be substituted'therefor.

'Ihe operation will be readily understood from the foregoing description when taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings and the following statement thereof.

The water passes from'the sewer a, through the pipes a3, into the trough-shaped screens a6, and all the ybulky substances, such as `paper and other large particles of various kinds and classes, are received and retained in said .trough-shaped screens. 'Ihe water passes through said screens onto the screeningmaterial, composed of the straw b4, the fine cobs b2, the coarse cobs b2, and the copperscreen Z), into the slush-chambers b5. The heavier particles in the slush-waterand the most impure water settles in the slush-chambers b5 and IOO conduits through the nely-perforated dis-V tributing-pipes f onto the filtering material, composed of the gravel h4,\the sand h3, the coarse gravel h2, and the copper screens h, into the pure-Water chambers h5, from which it passes through the pipes K into the pipes lo. The iiush-pipes las, which communicate with the bottom of the water-chambers h5, are also provided, as will be seen, with valves N, and the pipes C2, which extend from the slush-water chambers b to the well C, are provided with valvesrO, and the pipe d5, which extends from the bottom of the receiving-well D, is provided witha valve O2.

The partition-walls in the building or structure A, by which the chambers a2 are formed,

are shown at P, and these walls may be ofv any desired'height, and the beams M, which support the track-rails m, may'also 'support a iioor, if desired. v.

The water which passes through the pipes K lfrom the pure-water chambers h5 is suit- `able for any desired purpose and may be employed wherever pure water is necessary or desirable, and it will thus be seen that I accomplish the obj ect of my invention by means rating material in the chambers a2 may also be removed and new material substituted whenever desired, and many changes in and .modications of the construction herein described may bejma'de without departing from ythe spirit of my invention or sacriicing its advantages.

Having fully described my' invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Lettersv Patenti 1. A Water-purifying apparatus which is adapted for use in .connection with a sewerstructure beingiplaced adjacent toa sewer,

and being provided withV separate compart-A ments which are in communication with said sewer by means of pipes, said pipes being in connection with separating-troughs placed in said compartments below7 which is placed separating material, below which are formed slushchambers, said separating structure be- 1 ing also provided adjacent to one side thereof,

with a receiving-well, and also with a iiushwell, said iiush-well and said receiving-well being in communication with said slush-chambers; and said ltering structure being also provided with filtering-compartments, a conduit placed over said filtering-compartments and provided with pipes which discharge into each of said compartments, said filtering-compartments being also provided with iiltering material in the bottom thereof', and said structurey being provided with pure-water chambers beneath said filtering' material, and means for pumping the water in said receiving-well adjacent to the separating structure into said conduit, substantially as shown and described.

2. A Water-purifying apparatus which is adapted for use in connection with a sewerage system, said apparatus consisting of a separating building or structure, and a lter' -ing building or structure, said iirst-named structure being placed adjacent to a sewer, and being provided with separate compartments'which are in communication with said sewer by means of pipes, said pipes being in connection with separating-troughs, placed in said sewer below which is placed separating material,below which are formed slush-chambers, said separating structure being also providedadjacent to oneside thereof, Vwith a re- A ceiving-well, and also with a iiush-well, said iiush-well and said receiving-well being in communication with said slush-chambers, and said filtering structure being also provided with filtering-compartments, a conduit placed over said filtering-compartments and .provided with pipes which discharge into each of said compartments, said ltering-'c'ompartments being also provided with iiltering material in the bottom thereof, and said structure being provided with pure-water chainbers beneath said iiltering material, and means `for pumping the water in said receiving-well adjacent to theseparating structure into 'said conduit, and devices in connection with said separating structure for pumping the water from thev flush-well back into the separating-compartments, substantially as shown and described.

3. The herein-described Water-purifying apparatus adapted for use in connection with a sewerage system, said apparatus consisting of two structures, namely a separating building or2 structure and a filtering building or struc-ture, said separating' structure kbeing provided with separating-compartments below which are placed slush-chambers, said compartments being in communicationwit-h a sewer, and said filtering building or structure being provided withltering-com'partments above which is placed a conduit, and which'is provided with distributing-pipes, andwith fresh-water chambers beneath said filtering-compartments, and means for conveying the water from the slush-chambers in the separating structure into said. conduit, substantially as shown and described.

4. The herein-described water-purifying IOO IIO

apparatus adapted for use in connection with a sewerage system, said apparatus consisting of two structures namely a separating building or structure and a filtering building or structure, said separating structure being provided with separating-compartments below which are placed slush-chambers, said compartments being in communication with a sewer, and said filtering building orstructure being provided with filtering-compartments above which is placed a conduit, which is provided with distributing-pipes, and with fresh-water.chambers beneath said filteringcompartments, and means for conveying the water from the slush-chambers in the separating structure into said conduit, said separating structure being also provided with a well which is in communication with said slush-chambers, and means for pumping the water from said well back into saidV separating-compartments, substantially as shown and described.

5. In an apparatus for purifying sewagewater, a building or structure provided with a plurality of separate compartments, means for supplying sewer-water to each of said compartments, an inclined and perforated trough in each of said compartments to one end of which the sewer-water is delivered, separating material forming the floor of' said compartments, and a slush-compartment beneath said separate compartments, substantially as set forth.

(i. In an apparatus for purifying sewagewater, a building or structure provided with separati11g-compartments which are in complaced separating material through which the water passes into slush-chambers, said separating material consisting of straw, corncobs,

and wire-screening, substantially as shown 4and described.

7. In an apparatus for purifying sewagewater, a building or structure provided with separating-compartments which are in communication with a sewer, by means of pipes,

said compartments being also provided with? trough-sha ed se arators with which said I o n n pipes communicate, and beneath which are placed separating material through which the water passes, into the slush-chambers, said separating material consisting of straw, cornl cobs, and wire-screening, and said separatingcompartments bein g also provided with means for removing said separating material, subl stantially as shown and described.

S. A11 apparatus for purifying sewage-water, consisting of a separating building or structure provided with separating-compartments below which are placed slush-water compartments, said separating-compartments being provided with pipes which communicate with a sewer, and means for separating the coarser articles from the water, and another building or structure provided with filtering-chambers over which passes a conduit, and means for conveying the water from the slush-chambers of the separating structure into said conduit, said filtering-chambers being provided with means for filtering the water, substantially as shown and described.

9. In an apparatus for purifying water, a building or structure provided with separating devices whereby the bulky and coarser substances are removed from the water, and a filtering structure which is divided into separate filtering-chambers beneath which are pure-water chambers, said filtering-chambers being provided with filtering material in the bottom thereof, and with a conduit which extends longitudinally thereover, said conduit being provided with distributing-pipes which are perforated on their under sides, and said conduit being also in connection with devices for pumping the water from the separating-chambers thereinto, substantially as shown and described.

l0. An apparatus for purifying sewage-water, adapted to be used in connection with a sewer, said apparatus consisting of two separate buildings or structures, the first of which is provided with means for separating the bulky and coarser substances from the water, and with filtering-compartments and means for filtering the water, and the second of which is provided with filtering-compartments, and devices whereby the water is conveyed from the first structure into the filtering-compartments of the second,substantially as shown and described.

1l. An apparatus for purifying sewage-water, adapted to be used in connection with a sewer, said apparatus consisting of two separate buildings or structures, the first of which is provided with means for separating the bulky and-coarser substances from the water, and with filtering-compartments and means for filtering the water, and the second of which is provided with filteringcompartments, and devices whereby the water is conveyed from the first structure into the filtering-compartments of the second, said devices for filtering the water consisting of thin layers of gravel and sand which are placed in the bottom of said filteri11g-compartments and below which are pure-water chambers which are in connection with water-pipes, substantially as shown and described.

12. An apparatus for purifying sewage-water, consisting of two buildings or structures one of which is placed adjacent to the i sewer, and is provided with separating-compartments in which the bulky or coarser substances are separated from the water which passes into slush-chambers, a water-receiving well in communication with said slush-chambers, a flush-well in communication with said slush-chambers, and the other building or structure being provided with filtering-cham- IOO IIO

bers, and means for conveying theI water from,

said receiving-Well into said iltering-chambers, substantially as shown and described.

13. An apparatus for purifying sewage-water, consisting of two buildings or structures one of which is placed adjacent to the sewer and is provided with separating-compartments in which the bulky or coal-ser substances are separated from the Water which passes into the slushchambers,a Water-receiving `Well in communicationwith said slushchambers, a flush-Well in communication With said slush-chambers, and the other building or structure being provided Withlteringchambers, and means for conveying the Water from said receiving-WellA into 'said -filteringchambers, and devices for pumping the Water in said Hush-Well back in saidy separatingcompartments, substantially as shown and described.`

14:. An apparatus for purifying sewage-Water, consisting of two separate buildings or structures, one of Which is provided With means for separating the bulky or coarser articles from the Water, and a receiving-Well kinto which the Water passes, the other building or structure being provided With filteringcompartments, and aconduit into which the Water from said Well is preferably conveyed, said conduit being provided with perforated distributing-pipes which open into said ltering-compartments, and said filtering-compartments being provided With filtering material, consisting of gravel andsand which is placed in the bottom thereof, and said lastnamed building or structure being provided with pure-Water chambers beneath said filtering-compartments, and With means for conveying the Water therefrom, said chambers being also provided With flush-pipes, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence of the subscribing Witnesses, this 7th day of July, 1897.

JAMES s. MILLER.

Witnesses:

F. PIERCE HUMMEL, G. HARRY SMITH. 

